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Blue Cross appoints ‘Ben the Vet’ as new ambassador
'Ben the Vet' will promote the charity's work and best practice pet welfare. 

Dr Ben Simpson-Vernon will use his social media platform to highlight the charity’s work.

Practising vet and social media influencer Dr Ben Simpson-Vernon has been named a new ambassador for Blue Cross.

Ben, who has amassed thousands of followers through his TikTok channel, ‘Ben the Vet’, will promote the charity’s work and best practice pet welfare.

An ardent supporter of the Blue Cross, Ben’s videos on pet health and welfare focus on inherited health problems in pedigree dog and cat breeds.

He recently visited the charity to see how it is working to keep pets and their owners together during times of financial hardship.

Commenting on his appointment, Ben said: “I am delighted to become a Blue Cross Ambassador. I've been a supporter of the charity's work for a number of years, and I'm looking forward to championing the vital work they do in helping pets and their people every single day.”

Ben is a graduate of Cambridge University and works for the Goddard Veterinary Group in Essex. He joins fellow Blue Cross Ambassadors naturalist Chris Packham, actress Pam Ferris and Olympic equestrian Mary King.

Blue Cross chief vet Dr Paul Manktelow said: "We're delighted to welcome Ben as our latest Ambassador. His experience as a vet means he sees first-hand the struggles many pet owners face and understands the importance of affordable veterinary care.

“Ben will be a powerful advocate for the work we do – from finding homeless pets their forever homes, to helping to keep pets and their people together.”

Image (C) Blue Cross. 

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.